File case



Aug. 29, 1939. R. wURzBuRG 2,171,105

FILE CASE F'led Oct. l5, 1952 Rega'zaZdT/Wrzbwg.

Patented Aug. 29, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

My invention comprises a file case made of paper or equivalent material and it is an object of the same to strengthen. the file case at certain points of weakness so as to make the use of paper 51 more practicable for devices such as le cases and other boxes consisting essentially of a shell and a slidable box located therein.

Another object of the invention is to provide a file case with novel means for holding files in position therein.

Referring tothe drawing, which is made a part of this application and in which similar reference characters indicate similar parts:

Fig. 1 is a perspective of a device constructed in accordance with my invention,

Fig. 2, a longitudinal section thereof,

Fig. 3, a section on line 3--3 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 4, a horizontal section on line 4-4 of Fig. 2 and Fig. 5, a front elevation of the shell, the tray being omitted.

In the drawing reference character I indicates a shell which may be of known character except as hereinafter set forth. This shell is preferably closed at top and bottom, sides and rear and it may be formed from a single piece of cardboard in known manner. As here shown the top member II, side member I2, bottom I3 and side member I4 are continuous in the order described, the free edges being joined by a gummed strip I5 in setting up the shell and the blank being preferably scored so that it will bend at the points where the other corners of the shell occur. The rear end of the shell consists of two flaps I6 and I1 35 which are connected in setting up the shell by means of a horizontal gummed strip I8 or in any other suitable manner. The rear end also may include strips I9 and 20 which are continuous with the respective side members I2 and I4.

The inner tray 2I may be of conventional character, with a bottom, sides and rear and front end. The bottom is double and comprises portions 22 and 23 respectively integral with side members 24 and 25. It also comprises portions 45 26 and 21, the portion 26 being integral with the front member 28 and the portion 2'I being integral with rear member 29 which has a part folded down to strengthen it as indicated at 30. All the parts so far described are of conventional char- 50 acter and the tray consists of a flat blank, properly scored to bend at the desired points for correct positioning of corners and angles.

A gummed strip 3I serves to hold the parts of the tray in place when applied as indicated in the drawing.

Considerable face to face contact of the tray with the interior of the shell creates excessive frictional resistance to movement of the tray in and out of the shell, particularly if there is a considerable weight inside the tray. In order to mitigate this feature of objection to the use of cardboard and the like for i'lle cases or for other analogous purposes I have extended the material of the sides, top and bottom of the shell at the front end so as to permit it to be scored and turned in as indicated at 32, 32'.V As shown in the drawing, these projecting parts of the blank are scored twice and folded twice but it will be understood that the number of scores and consequent foldings may vary according to desired strength and for other reasons. When the front end of the shell is thus reinforced it willv be seen in the first yplace that its strength is increased. This means that when a number of these units are piled up on top of one another the top of a unit will be less likely to yield so as to rest on the upper edges of the tray or on the material contained therein and thus interfere with manipulation of the tray. 'Ihe same consideration applies to the sides of the shell which are liable to buckle or break down and which are now much strengthened. The reinforcement at the bottom of the shell is of importance mainly in that due to its position it elevates the tray above the floor of the shell so that the tray will contact with the floor only at its rear end and at the extreme forward end where the shell is reinforced, thus reducing the frictional area very decidedly. The front end of the shell is also strengthened at the bottom by this reinforcement so as to better bear the weight of the material in the tray. Preferably the flaps or extensions of the side members which flaps are scored and folded to provide ledges 32, 32, are wide enough tot nicely between the top and bottom members of the shell when they are folded into form and position as indicated in Fig. 4. The flaps which form the ledges 32', 32 at the top and bottom of the shell are cut a little narrower than the opening in the shell so that when folded into form and position as indicated in Fig. 2 they will fit nicely between ledges 32, 32. Some such reduction in width of the flaps isv necessary in order that they can all be folded into place without breaking or damaging the outer shell. While I have shown the flaps of both the shell and the container as being creased and folded twice so as to give a combined thickness of three layers it is obviously possible to fold them three or more times if greater strength is required. The shell in a preferred form is made of multi-ply board and the free edges may be connected in other ways than by gummed tape. All the flaps would be made long enough to extend further back in the shell or further down the front of the tray or all the way, if desired. The width of the reinforcement, particularly at the bottom of the shell, should be suflicient to aiord ample bearing for the bottom of the tray so as to stand up under wear and prevent accidental damage.

The tray, which has a handle at 33, has the upper part of its front end strengthened in similar manner by scoring and turning under an upwardly projecting part of the blank as indicated at 34 in Fig. 2. One advantage of such construction resides in the fact that users very commonly grasp the upper end of the tray in drawing it out or returning it to the position shown, instead of relying on the handle alone, and thus the trays are frequently damaged by cracking or breaking the upper part of the front end of the same. VAnother feature of improvement in the tray resides in side flaps shown at 35. These side iiaps may extend approximately from end to end of the tray and preferably are so formed that they are a little longer than the distance between the front and rear members, their length being such however as to permit them to be slightly sprung and moved into place whereby they bulge out slightly midway between their ends. Even without this bulge they are suilciently resilient to spring toward the interior f the tray thus engaging the opposite sides of files placed in the tray and holding the illes in upright position at the rear of the tray or whereever they may be positioned, thus doing away with the need for the usual follower blocks.

It will be understood that the shape of the device and its parts may be changed and that other features of the device may be changed in ways that will be obvious to those skilled in the art, all without departing from the spirit of my invention, therefore I do not limit myself to what is shown in the drawing or described in the specication, but only as indicated in the appended claims. While the device is intended primarily as a le it can obviously be used as a merchandize display device, a storage container, a shelf case, a stationary cabinet, etc. If the interior be properly modified it could be used as a container for hats or in fact for any items requiring protection against dirt, dust, etc. While I have used certain specific terms such as paper it is to be understood that any suitable ilexible or semi-iexible or semi-rigid material suitable for the use of devices of the character indicated may be substituted for paper.

Having thus fully described my said invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a le case having an outer shell open at one end, a tray of berboard or the like, said tray being open only at its top and comprising side members folded inward at the top to provide naps extending downward to a line about midway of the height of the tray and adapted to bear resiliently against the ends 0f les placed inv said shell, said flaps being longer than the distance between the front and rear ends of the tray, whereby they are caused to buckle at their intermediate portions for the purpose set forth.

2. In a file case, a long, narrow tray of fiberboard or the like, said tray having side walls folded in at the top to'provide aps extending downward to about mid-height of the tray, said flaps being longer than the distance between the front and rear ends of the tray, whereby they are made to buckle inward and bear resiliently against the ends of contained files or the like to hold them in place.

' REGINALD WRZBURG. 

